With a thin-client thumb drive, you can take it with you

Remember when portable key drives came out and became an instant success? Now the same thing is happening for a modified version of the same product, the thin client portable thumb drive.

Dell drew attention with the announcement in January that it was working on just such a device, code-named Ophelia, which would allow remote workers to carry their desktop with them by creating a secure tunnel back into their offices from anywhere. Only a tiny thumb drive was required.

Now more companies are stepping up to offer their own versions, including Devon IT, which is releasing Ceptor. The $99 device is available for ordering now and will ship later this month.

Devon IT announced at the recent Citrix Synergy 2013 show that it was making Ceptor, a small, full-featured device that plugs into an HDMI monitor or display.

The Ceptor is a multimedia-capable device that is slightly larger than a USB memory stick and enables users to convert any HDMI-capable TV or monitor into an interactive enterprise thin client device.

The Ceptor operates with a Citrix, RDP or VMware environment. Ceptor uses a dual-core ARM processor with Devon IT’s thin-client OS already installed. The client device is managed by Devon IT’s Echo thin-client management software, which is included with the main product. When plugged into an HMDI monitor and network, Ceptor provides a full virtual desktop experience. It has integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability for connecting to the network. Ceptor also includes USB On-The-Go via a USB-B micro host port as well as 1080P HD video output.